On Netflix, there is no shortage of series inspired by current events. From Dahmer to the recent series Crime at the Root, the platform likes to tell dark aspects of international history. But the “truecrime” are not the only genres to be favored by its subscribers. Squid Game is one of his completely fictional productions which quickly found its audience. Season 2 has only just joined the catalog, and is already among the most viewed productions in the world at the start of the year. Is Hwang Dong-hyeok’s creation inspired by a true story? This is what certain Internet users say in a publication relayed by our colleagues at TF1. We see what look like old photographs of a dilapidated place using the color codes of the Netflix series.
Decrepit pink, green and blue walls and children in blue outfits, the caption of the photo states: “Squid Game is based on a real event from 1986. It took place in a no-man’s land in South Korea, where people were held hostage and had to complete several games to survive. The host with inhuman thoughts was never found”. It was enough for the publication to appear on forums dedicated to the series. But as indicated TF1 The Verifiersthis story is completely false. As one could imagine, the images were generated using artificial intelligence. The TF1 editorial staff carried out several analyzes using AI detection software.
Le WorldOfSoftware was also able to carry out these checks and the findings are clear. According to data collected on Sightengine, the image was generated using machine learning tools (99% certainty). It would also be MidJourney which would be at the origin of the photos. It may be noted that some images contain imperfections, such as a fading railing or the presence of characters from an unknown alphabet. TF1’s investigations still made it possible to find the original files, they came from from the Instagram account of an artist specializing in image editing with artificial intelligence.
What really inspired Squid Game?
The series Squid Game is often compared to other productions revolving around deadly competitions organized for the entertainment of the rich. We obviously think of Hunger Games or even more recently Alice in Borderlands. The creator has repeatedly defended himself from any use of these concepts. He explained to Variety in 2021:“When I started (writing), I was in a difficult financial situation myself. I spent a lot of time in coffee shops reading comics, especially Battle Royal and Liar Game. I wondered how I would feel if I participated in the games.” Above all, he said he wanted to make his series the mirror of a modern capitalist world, a competition as extreme as that of life.
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He added this year, speaking to AFP, that he had drawn on the history of his country to build Gi-hun’s journey. He was inspired by the violent Ssangyong strikes in 2009 to explain how “any middle class person in the world today can fall to the bottom of the economic ladder overnight”. As a reminder, the takeover of the automobile giant Ssangyong led to the layoff of 2,600 people, or 40% of the workforce. A 77-day strike ended with clashes between strikers and police officers.
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